Post Graduate Diploma/Master in “Integrated Strategies for Sustainability and Ecological Transition” (SISTEM)– 3rd Edition A.Y. 2026/2027

The Master is for graduates in ecological, biological, chemical, geophysical, economic, and legal disciplines. Master’s degree graduates and individuals with different academic backgrounds who possess interests and skills in the sustainability sector are also encouraged to apply. Furthermore, there is the possibility of enrolling in individual modules with certification, and participation as auditors is open to high school graduates with proven professional experience

The Master aims to train professionals capable of leading the implementation of sustainable development models in both public and private sectors. Key objectives include:

• Meeting the demand for “green jobs”: preparing professional profiles that are increasingly sought after in the current labor market;
• Training the Sustainability Manager: an expert in resource analysis, management, and monitoring, impact assessment, and corporate process certification;
• Developing multi-transdisciplinary skills: integrating scientific, technical, and management knowledge with problem-solving abilities and the use of technologies like AI and data mining;
• Systemic approach: providing tools to govern interactions between environmental sectors and anthropic factors according to environmental ethics criteria.

The curriculum of the SISTEM Master's program is structured around four educational clusters that address key themes related to sustainability and ecological transition in an integrated and multidisciplinary manner, such as:

• issues relating to Planet Earth (natural resources, their utilization and monitoring, biomass, ecosystems, biodiversity, and climate);
• relevance and impact of human activities (energy, materials, waste, and health);
• sustainability strategies (social, economic, and environmental impact assessment, integration and certification of sustainability in business processes – supply chain, recycling and reuse – sustainability reporting, and communication);
• regulatory-legal aspects (sustainability and environment in national and international law, processes, and procedures);
• soft skills (competencies for project management and management of multidisciplinary teams).

The teaching is structured collaboratively ("with multiple voices") featuring academic, corporate, and professional instructors to provide complementary basic and applied knowledge and skills in scientific, technical, and managerial fields.

The Master's program includes a 200-hour project work to be carried out within a company and 100 hours for drafting the final thesis, leading to the award of a First-Level Master's Degree of 60 CFU (ECTS)

The enrollment fee for the course (for Master’s students and auditors enrolled in the full program) totals € 2,016.00 to be paid in 2 instalments:

• € 1,516.00 (including a € 16.00 virtual revenue stamp) by the enrollment deadline, by 4:00 PM (Italian time) on January 11, 2027;
• € 500.00 by March 3, 2027.

For participation in individual courses, the respective rates are indicated, to be paid in a single instalment upon enrollment. A fee list is provided for participating in single courses.

The application for admission must be completed by 12:00 PM (noon, Italian time) on December 4, 2026. To learn how to submit an admission application, please refer to Art. 14 of the Admission Announcement (Bando di ammissione) in the Attachments section or write to master.altaformazione.polovercelli@uniupo.it and master.sistem@uniupo.it.

The ranking list of admitted candidates will be published on this page by 6:00 PM (Italian time) on December 18, 2026.

Admitted students must finalize their enrollment in the Master's program by 4:00 PM (Italian time) on January 11, 2027.

• Director of the Master: Prof. Enrico Boccaleri, Full Professor at DiSSTE, UPO.
• Administrative Contacts: master.altaformazione.polovercelli@uniupo.it and master.sistem@uniupo.it

• Duration: one year, approximately starting in January 2027.
• Format: innovative teaching integrating asynchronous digital training (high-quality video clips), synchronous online activities, and an in-person component (at least 50 hours).
• Location: residential activities will take place at DiSSTE in Vercelli, Piazza S. Eusebio 5.
• Attendance: mandatory for at least 75% of the hours.
• Educational Load: 60 ECTS (CFU) for a total commitment of 1,500 hours

The program includes ongoing non-graded assessments at the end of each module, with the issuance of European-certified Open Badges. Additionally, final graded assessments are scheduled for each teaching cluster (Milestone Badges). Final assessments and project work are not mandatory for auditors. The Level I University Master’s Degree is awarded after the discussion of a final thesis. For auditors who meet the attendance requirement, a certificate of attendance will be issued